Occupations and Terms of Reference › Fitness club manager
Universal terms of reference · POS-256 · version 1.0 · status: draft · next review 2027-10-27
Fitness club manager
To run the fitness club, so that members get safe, effective and enjoyable services and the club meets its targets.
Each part of this page links to the related trainings, competencies and policies. The links are the same for every facility, so an organisation can see at a glance what a role requires and what it is trained in.
Job description
Job summary. You run the fitness club. You manage instructors, members' safety, facilities and pools, membership and sales, and make sure services are safe and well run.
Reports to: Chief operating officer.
Leads or supervises: Instructors, trainers, lifeguards, sales and childcare staff.
What you do on a typical day
- Review member incidents and facility checks each day.
- Plan instructor rotas and cover.
- Check pools and equipment safety.
- Handle member complaints.
- Report club performance monthly.
Working conditions and demands
- Public-facing, busy operation.
- Pool and childcare safety are critical.
- Sales targets pressure staff.
What good looks like
- Members are safe.
- Facilities are clean and checked.
- Complaints are resolved.
Place in the organogram
Reporting line, from the top: see the organogram on the Occupations page. The lines above and below this role are listed in section 3.
1. Golden rules
These rules apply in every setting.
- Every member is screened before they start and advised to see a doctor when they should.
- Exercise is delivered within the member's ability and health status, with clear progression.
- Injuries and incidents are reported and followed up the same day.
- Pools, equipment and rooms are checked and kept safe and hygienic.
- Member data and health information are kept private.
- Promises about results are honest; no false or unsafe claims are made.
- Staff hold valid qualifications and first aid training for their role.
- Children and vulnerable people are protected at all times.
2. Identification
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Position code | POS-256 |
| ISCO-08 | 1345 (skill level 4) |
| ESCO | to map |
| Department | Fitness and wellness |
| Facility types | Fitness |
3. Reporting line and working relationships
Reports to: POS-004. Supervises: POS-257, POS-258, POS-259, POS-260, POS-263, POS-264, POS-266, POS-267, POS-265, POS-262, POS-261.
| Works with | Nature of the relationship |
|---|---|
| Chief operating officer | Club plan and budget. |
| Health and fitness assessor (screening) | Member screening. |
| Sports physiotherapist (fitness setting) | Injury and return to exercise. |
4. Key accountabilities
| Domain | Accountability | Evidence of delivery | Checked | Linked competencies | Linked trainings | Linked policies | Standards |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Operations | Keeps the club running safely and to target. | Member satisfaction and targets reviewed monthly | Monthly | C-01 | T-08 | – | 2 |
| Facilities safety | Keeps pools, equipment and rooms safe and checked. | Safety checks completed on schedule | Weekly | C-02 | T-05 · T-07 | POL-SAFEG | 2 |
| Complaints | Handles member complaints fairly and on time. | Complaints answered within policy timeframe | Monthly | C-01 | T-08 | POL-EQUAL · POL-WHISTLE | 2 |
5. Decision rights
| The post holder decides | Consults or escalates |
|---|---|
| Rota decisions within budget | Serious member incidents (COO and CQO) |
| Class and programme scheduling | Pool closure decisions (COO) |
6. Qualifications and experience
| ID | Qualification | Mandatory | Validity |
|---|---|---|---|
| Q-01 | Degree in sport, health or business management or equivalent experience | No | Lifetime |
| Q-02 | First aid and pool safety certificate | Yes | Lifetime |
| ID | Experience | Minimum years | Mandatory |
|---|---|---|---|
| E-01 | Fitness or leisure facility management | 4 | Yes |
7. Training requirements
Recommended common practice. Each facility adapts the list to its national law. Essential items apply in every setting; recommended items apply where resources allow.
| ID | Training | Tier | When | Validity | Linked policies | Linked competencies |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| T-01 | Facility induction | essential | at_entry | Once | POL-WHISTLE · POL-EQUAL · POL-DATA | – |
| T-02 | Safeguarding adults | essential | periodic | Every 3 year(s) | POL-SAFEG | – |
| T-03 | Safeguarding children | essential | periodic | Every 3 year(s) | POL-SAFEG | – |
| T-04 | Data protection and confidentiality | essential | annual | Every 1 year(s) | POL-DATA | – |
| T-05 | Incident reporting and open disclosure | essential | periodic | Every 2 year(s) | POL-INC | C-02 |
| T-06 | Governance, accountability and assurance | recommended | periodic | Every 3 year(s) | – | – |
| T-07 | Emergency and major incident command | essential | annual | Every 1 year(s) | POL-INC | C-02 |
| T-08 | Speaking up, inclusion and equality leadership | essential | periodic | Every 2 year(s) | POL-WHISTLE · POL-EQUAL | C-01 |
8. Health, fitness and language
| ID | Requirement | Frequency | Tier | Minimum in low-resource settings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| H-03 | Fitness-to-work assessment at entry and after serious illness or injury | Every 12 months | recommended | Fitness check at entry |
| Language | Level | Mandatory |
|---|---|---|
| Official language of the country of practice | professional | Yes |
| English | working | Yes |
9. Competencies by level
| ID | Competency | Foundation | Practitioner | Expert | Assessed by | Revalidate | Linked trainings |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| C-01 | Club operations | Follows club plans | Runs club operations | Designs club operations | Operations audit | Every 12 months | T-08 |
| C-02 | Facility and pool safety | Checks facilities | Leads safety checks | Designs facility safety | Safety audit | Every 12 months | T-05 · T-07 |
10. Performance evaluation
- Probation: 6 months, with a sign-off review (recommended value).
- Appraisal: every 12 months against the competencies and indicators below.
| ID | Indicator | Target | Data source | Frequency |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| PI-01 | Safety checks on schedule | 100% | check log | Weekly |
| PI-02 | Member incidents reviewed in time | 100% | incident register | Monthly |
| PI-03 | Complaints answered on time | 100% | complaints log | Monthly |
11. Career ladder and promotion
| Level | Role | Minimum experience to move on | Qualifications | Competency minimums | Trainings required | Assessment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Executive | Fitness club manager | 4 years (recommended) | Q-01, Q-02 | C-01 practitioner, C-02 practitioner | T-05 · T-07 | Executive appointment and performance review |
12. Policies the post holder follows
Each policy is a standard template that the facility adopts and adapts. Templates are maintained centrally, so every facility works from the same version.
POL-SAFEG · Safeguarding adults and children
Purpose: Protect patients from abuse, neglect and harm, and make sure every concern is recognised and acted on.
Scope: All staff, volunteers and contractors.
Key rules:
Scope: All staff, volunteers and contractors.
Key rules:
- Recognise signs of abuse and neglect and record them factually.
- Report every concern to the designated safeguarding lead the same shift.
- Do not investigate alone.
- Share information only as the safeguarding procedure allows.
POL-DATA · Data protection and confidentiality
Purpose: Keep patient and staff information private, secure and used only for care and legal purposes.
Scope: All staff who access records or systems.
Key rules:
Scope: All staff who access records or systems.
Key rules:
- Access only the records needed for your work.
- Keep records secure; do not leave screens or paper unattended.
- Do not share information without a lawful basis.
- Report any breach to the data protection officer within 24 hours.
Linked trainings: T-10 · Review every 12 months · Template 0.1 (draft)
POL-WHISTLE · Speaking up (whistleblowing)
Purpose: Let staff raise patient safety or conduct concerns without fear of reprisal.
Scope: All staff.
Key rules:
Scope: All staff.
Key rules:
- Raise a concern with your line manager or the named speaking-up officer.
- If that route fails, escalate to the board or the national regulator.
- Retaliation against anyone who speaks up is a disciplinary offence.
- Concerns are recorded, investigated and the outcome given to the person raising them.
Linked trainings: T-01 · Review every 12 months · Template 0.1 (draft)
POL-EQUAL · Equality, diversity and inclusion
Purpose: Give every patient and colleague fair access, respectful treatment and reasonable adjustments.
Scope: All staff and patients.
Key rules:
Scope: All staff and patients.
Key rules:
- Treat every person with dignity regardless of background.
- Make reasonable adjustments, including interpreters, for language and disability.
- Report discrimination through the speaking-up route.
- Monitor access and outcomes by group.
Linked trainings: T-01 · Review every 24 months · Template 0.1 (draft)
POL-INC · Incident reporting and open disclosure
Purpose: Report and learn from incidents and near misses, and tell patients honestly when things go wrong.
Scope: All staff.
Key rules:
Scope: All staff.
Key rules:
- Report every incident and near miss the same shift.
- Give the patient and family an honest account and an apology where appropriate (open disclosure).
- Take immediate action to protect others.
- Learn: contribute to the review and follow the agreed actions.
13. Standards that name this role
14. Record history
| Date | Change | Approved by |
|---|---|---|
| 2026-10-27 | Draft record, batch 1 of the position build | Awaiting approval |